29-05-2019, 04:45 PM
The next week was busy for me. I am a lawyer and a partner with a firm in center city and we were scrambling to put the finishing touches on a proposal for a prospective client. Landing this one would bring in a bundle of cash to the firm, so I was leaving the house early and coming home late.
Thank goodness I had Sonali Desi, another partner in the firm, working with me. She was sharp and perceptive and I knew that the success of the project would be in no small part due to her participation.
Menka understood, she had been through times like this before and she understood how it worked. We would be frantic for a couple of weeks, and then things would settle down and we could resume a normal life again.
Menka was busy herself. She would leave for work not long after I did. She worked for the same medical supply company since graduating from college and was now a senior sales associate. Her income still amazed me, it ran well into six figures. You can guess that we lived very well.
##
It was on a Saturday, a couple of weeks later, that I managed to get a splinter in my finger while puttering in the garage and I couldn't get the damned thing out. Menka wasn't home yet, so I went upstairs into her closet and looked for her sewing kit for a needle to pry the sliver out. I then discovered, wedged behind a piece of luggage, a shopping bag from Westside mall. My curiosity got the better of me and I took the bag out and looked inside. I removed the box and opened it. Wow, a gorgeous negligee, transparent and very short. A very brief pair of panties accompanied it.
"oooooo," I thought. "My sex life is going to be picking up. I'll not spoil Menka's surprise." So I carefully repacked everything and put it all back where I found it. Now all I had to do is wait until Menka completed the treatments. When that was done with, we would celebrate in style. I hummed as I returned to the garage, totally forgetting about the splinter.
##
A few weeks later, as we were sitting watching the late news one evening, I turned to her and asked, "Menka, when you're in Muzaffarnagar tomorrow, could you stop and get some cake from the PapaaJi’s Bakery?"
I loved that stuff. You see, Menka would drive into Muzaffarnagar every Friday to supervise a production unit of her company. A few months ago she had decided it would be easier to stay over in her company guest house and drive back to Delhi Saturday morning. That was better than fighting the traffic Friday evening.
I was a little taken aback to see a flash of annoyance cross her face.
"I'll try, Sunil, but you know how busy I get when I'm in the Muzaffarnagar, so don't get your hopes up," she replied rather sharply. She then turned her attention back to the T.V.
What the hell was that all about? I wondered. I didn't mention it again, but I noticed that she returned on Saturday without my PapaaJi’s cake and also without any mention of it. I was irritated, but decided not to make an issue of it. I was aware that our relationship over the past few months was not exactly loving. We tended to get annoyed at each other at the slightest provocation. I wondered where the love and caring had gone.
I started to wonder about our marriage. Is this what my future was going to be like? The indifference, the boredom, the lack of any meaningful intimacy, and I don't mean only sexual. For the first time I began to contemplate a future which looked rather bleak. It was in this frame of mind that I waited for an opportune time, a time when we both were relaxed and lounging in our rooftop at Sunday.
"Menka, I really need to have a serious conversation with you," I began.
Menka looked up at me with that same flash of annoyance. This time I just ignored it and bulled my way forward.
"You have to realize that there's obviously something wrong with our marriage. We don't seem to care as much for each other as we once did. We argue about silly things much more than are good for this relationship. Instead of conversations, we walk around almost ignoring each other. " I paused briefly and then asked, "Menka, are you having an affair? Do you still love me?"
I saw her tense and her eyes harden briefly. She arose, came over to me and seated herself close to my side. "Oh Sunil, don't be silly. You know that I love you," she said softly as she reached to caress my cheek.
"And you're right, of course. We are drifting apart; we have to remember why we're together. I have to remember. I'm sorry, Sunil. I know that I have been difficult to live with lately. I don't know why that is, but things will be different now. I think I needed to hear how you felt. Thanks, sona," she murmured as she bent over to kiss me briefly.
I felt reassured, I really did. I recognized that all marriages go through something like this, a time when spouses take each other for granted. Fortunately, we saw that and we would take steps to overcome the ennui. So why was I uneasy? And why did Menka never meet my eyes as she professed her love for me?
Things did change and the next couple of months were dramatically better. Menka was much more solicitous and took the time to do the small things that mean so much in a union.
I was happy that I had had that conversation with her. In fact, the very next Saturday, she brought home a PapaaJi’s cake for me. I was tickled pink with her thoughtfulness as well as the cake.
##
Then, almost imperceptibly, the kind and gentle Menka started to disappear again. Slowly, the indifference and coolness returned. I have to emphasize, there was never an overt act of cruelty, no anger, no acts of viciousness or spitefulness That would have required some passion. That was the nub of the problem as I saw it. All of the passion had vanished from our marriage.
I was at a loss. I really didn't know what to do, what further steps to take. I wasn't about the have the same conversation. I decided to just take a breath, step back, and try to find a reason for Menka's withdrawal. Could it be that she was just complacent after almost 25 years of marriage? Or was it something more serious?
It was in this frame of mind that I began to become more observant. Yeah, it was in the back of my mind, way in back and I tried to keep it there, but the first creeping doubts about Menka's fidelity came slithering out. I was pretty sure I was being foolish, but the uncertainty was there. No use trying to pretend. But this was a stretch, I told myself. But was it? She certainly had ample opportunity to stray. I shook my head, admitting that I may be becoming paranoid.
Just to reassure myself, the following Friday I again went into Menka's closet, searching for that negligee. It wasn't there, it was gone. I felt my heart rate go up, but I sat back and tried to calm down. I then went into her dresser and found her underwear drawer. I found it full of underwear, amazing. I really started to feel foolish, almost like a character in a romance novel - the dorky, unsuspecting husband. I then proceeded to her walk-in closet. I stood still for a moment, overwhelmed with the vast array of clothing.
I then turned my eyes to a wall of shoes, all neatly stacked on shelves in their boxes. On a sudden impulse I pulled a boot box out from the bottom of a shelf. It was oversized and she had half a dozen of them. I found the negligee. There were no tags on it now, nor on the panties. They had company. There was a collection of sexy and provocative underwear there and in two other boxes. Three of the large boxes were filled with bra’s.
I suddenly sat back and tried to catch my breath. I was having problem in breathing, like all the air had been sucked off the planet. At the bottom of the last box I had discovered a small, circular container of pills. Small, purple pills - a months supply. I knew what they were; she had taken them before my vasectomy almost ten years ago. Birth control pills, and a months supply, none missing. Was this a stash for when she used up what she had hidden somewhere else?
It looked like all of my questions were answered, all of my doubts confirmed. I finally had the answers I needed, my confusion resolved. So why was I feeling like shit? I blinked away the tears that had started to fill my eyes. I fought back the nausea that threatened and took long, deep breaths. I quickly but neatly put everything back as I had found it and walked out of the bedroom and down the stairs. I thought, I needed a clear head. I walked out onto the terrace, sat and began to think.
I tried to steel myself. I tried to put my thoughts in order and come to some decisions concerning plans for the immediate future. I couldn't - I just couldn't think straight. I felt my insides churn. I felt myself sweating, flushing and then turning cold, shivering. I felt inundated, overwhelmed with a sense of desolation and sorrow. It actually felt like my life had ended. I loved this woman with every fiber of my being and she had deliberately and coldly betrayed that love.
I started to feel another emotion - anger. No, not anger, rage. I shook with ire; I saw that I had clenched my firsts, digging my nails into my palms. So I sat there, for what seemed like hours, but was probably no more than 30 minutes or so, alternating between sorrow and rage.
I thought about divorce and knew for certain that that at least was going to happen. I'm not a divorce lawyer, but I knew that this state allowed fault and no-fault divorces. I also knew that adultery was good cause for a fault divorce. Her rights to the distribution of our assets would be impacted negatively. I also realized that I really didn't give a shit. We both had money to spare - I didn't want to go through the hassle. But I did know that I needed hard evidence, evidence that I didn't as yet have.
My brain had started to work again. I began making plans, tentative, but at least I had started to think. A thought stuck me and I headed up the stairs again. I entered the bathroom and looked at Menka's "stuff" around her sink area. I didn't know what half of that crap was. I started to rummage carefully through the small bags and plastic boxes. At the bottom of a large make-up bag I found what I was looking for. A small, circular container of the birth control pills. It appeared that she would take her daily pill while occupied in the bathroom - clever. There were 5 pills left - it looked like she would soon be using her hidden stash.
##
Thank goodness I had Sonali Desi, another partner in the firm, working with me. She was sharp and perceptive and I knew that the success of the project would be in no small part due to her participation.
Menka understood, she had been through times like this before and she understood how it worked. We would be frantic for a couple of weeks, and then things would settle down and we could resume a normal life again.
Menka was busy herself. She would leave for work not long after I did. She worked for the same medical supply company since graduating from college and was now a senior sales associate. Her income still amazed me, it ran well into six figures. You can guess that we lived very well.
##
It was on a Saturday, a couple of weeks later, that I managed to get a splinter in my finger while puttering in the garage and I couldn't get the damned thing out. Menka wasn't home yet, so I went upstairs into her closet and looked for her sewing kit for a needle to pry the sliver out. I then discovered, wedged behind a piece of luggage, a shopping bag from Westside mall. My curiosity got the better of me and I took the bag out and looked inside. I removed the box and opened it. Wow, a gorgeous negligee, transparent and very short. A very brief pair of panties accompanied it.
"oooooo," I thought. "My sex life is going to be picking up. I'll not spoil Menka's surprise." So I carefully repacked everything and put it all back where I found it. Now all I had to do is wait until Menka completed the treatments. When that was done with, we would celebrate in style. I hummed as I returned to the garage, totally forgetting about the splinter.
##
A few weeks later, as we were sitting watching the late news one evening, I turned to her and asked, "Menka, when you're in Muzaffarnagar tomorrow, could you stop and get some cake from the PapaaJi’s Bakery?"
I loved that stuff. You see, Menka would drive into Muzaffarnagar every Friday to supervise a production unit of her company. A few months ago she had decided it would be easier to stay over in her company guest house and drive back to Delhi Saturday morning. That was better than fighting the traffic Friday evening.
I was a little taken aback to see a flash of annoyance cross her face.
"I'll try, Sunil, but you know how busy I get when I'm in the Muzaffarnagar, so don't get your hopes up," she replied rather sharply. She then turned her attention back to the T.V.
What the hell was that all about? I wondered. I didn't mention it again, but I noticed that she returned on Saturday without my PapaaJi’s cake and also without any mention of it. I was irritated, but decided not to make an issue of it. I was aware that our relationship over the past few months was not exactly loving. We tended to get annoyed at each other at the slightest provocation. I wondered where the love and caring had gone.
I started to wonder about our marriage. Is this what my future was going to be like? The indifference, the boredom, the lack of any meaningful intimacy, and I don't mean only sexual. For the first time I began to contemplate a future which looked rather bleak. It was in this frame of mind that I waited for an opportune time, a time when we both were relaxed and lounging in our rooftop at Sunday.
"Menka, I really need to have a serious conversation with you," I began.
Menka looked up at me with that same flash of annoyance. This time I just ignored it and bulled my way forward.
"You have to realize that there's obviously something wrong with our marriage. We don't seem to care as much for each other as we once did. We argue about silly things much more than are good for this relationship. Instead of conversations, we walk around almost ignoring each other. " I paused briefly and then asked, "Menka, are you having an affair? Do you still love me?"
I saw her tense and her eyes harden briefly. She arose, came over to me and seated herself close to my side. "Oh Sunil, don't be silly. You know that I love you," she said softly as she reached to caress my cheek.
"And you're right, of course. We are drifting apart; we have to remember why we're together. I have to remember. I'm sorry, Sunil. I know that I have been difficult to live with lately. I don't know why that is, but things will be different now. I think I needed to hear how you felt. Thanks, sona," she murmured as she bent over to kiss me briefly.
I felt reassured, I really did. I recognized that all marriages go through something like this, a time when spouses take each other for granted. Fortunately, we saw that and we would take steps to overcome the ennui. So why was I uneasy? And why did Menka never meet my eyes as she professed her love for me?
Things did change and the next couple of months were dramatically better. Menka was much more solicitous and took the time to do the small things that mean so much in a union.
I was happy that I had had that conversation with her. In fact, the very next Saturday, she brought home a PapaaJi’s cake for me. I was tickled pink with her thoughtfulness as well as the cake.
##
Then, almost imperceptibly, the kind and gentle Menka started to disappear again. Slowly, the indifference and coolness returned. I have to emphasize, there was never an overt act of cruelty, no anger, no acts of viciousness or spitefulness That would have required some passion. That was the nub of the problem as I saw it. All of the passion had vanished from our marriage.
I was at a loss. I really didn't know what to do, what further steps to take. I wasn't about the have the same conversation. I decided to just take a breath, step back, and try to find a reason for Menka's withdrawal. Could it be that she was just complacent after almost 25 years of marriage? Or was it something more serious?
It was in this frame of mind that I began to become more observant. Yeah, it was in the back of my mind, way in back and I tried to keep it there, but the first creeping doubts about Menka's fidelity came slithering out. I was pretty sure I was being foolish, but the uncertainty was there. No use trying to pretend. But this was a stretch, I told myself. But was it? She certainly had ample opportunity to stray. I shook my head, admitting that I may be becoming paranoid.
Just to reassure myself, the following Friday I again went into Menka's closet, searching for that negligee. It wasn't there, it was gone. I felt my heart rate go up, but I sat back and tried to calm down. I then went into her dresser and found her underwear drawer. I found it full of underwear, amazing. I really started to feel foolish, almost like a character in a romance novel - the dorky, unsuspecting husband. I then proceeded to her walk-in closet. I stood still for a moment, overwhelmed with the vast array of clothing.
I then turned my eyes to a wall of shoes, all neatly stacked on shelves in their boxes. On a sudden impulse I pulled a boot box out from the bottom of a shelf. It was oversized and she had half a dozen of them. I found the negligee. There were no tags on it now, nor on the panties. They had company. There was a collection of sexy and provocative underwear there and in two other boxes. Three of the large boxes were filled with bra’s.
I suddenly sat back and tried to catch my breath. I was having problem in breathing, like all the air had been sucked off the planet. At the bottom of the last box I had discovered a small, circular container of pills. Small, purple pills - a months supply. I knew what they were; she had taken them before my vasectomy almost ten years ago. Birth control pills, and a months supply, none missing. Was this a stash for when she used up what she had hidden somewhere else?
It looked like all of my questions were answered, all of my doubts confirmed. I finally had the answers I needed, my confusion resolved. So why was I feeling like shit? I blinked away the tears that had started to fill my eyes. I fought back the nausea that threatened and took long, deep breaths. I quickly but neatly put everything back as I had found it and walked out of the bedroom and down the stairs. I thought, I needed a clear head. I walked out onto the terrace, sat and began to think.
I tried to steel myself. I tried to put my thoughts in order and come to some decisions concerning plans for the immediate future. I couldn't - I just couldn't think straight. I felt my insides churn. I felt myself sweating, flushing and then turning cold, shivering. I felt inundated, overwhelmed with a sense of desolation and sorrow. It actually felt like my life had ended. I loved this woman with every fiber of my being and she had deliberately and coldly betrayed that love.
I started to feel another emotion - anger. No, not anger, rage. I shook with ire; I saw that I had clenched my firsts, digging my nails into my palms. So I sat there, for what seemed like hours, but was probably no more than 30 minutes or so, alternating between sorrow and rage.
I thought about divorce and knew for certain that that at least was going to happen. I'm not a divorce lawyer, but I knew that this state allowed fault and no-fault divorces. I also knew that adultery was good cause for a fault divorce. Her rights to the distribution of our assets would be impacted negatively. I also realized that I really didn't give a shit. We both had money to spare - I didn't want to go through the hassle. But I did know that I needed hard evidence, evidence that I didn't as yet have.
My brain had started to work again. I began making plans, tentative, but at least I had started to think. A thought stuck me and I headed up the stairs again. I entered the bathroom and looked at Menka's "stuff" around her sink area. I didn't know what half of that crap was. I started to rummage carefully through the small bags and plastic boxes. At the bottom of a large make-up bag I found what I was looking for. A small, circular container of the birth control pills. It appeared that she would take her daily pill while occupied in the bathroom - clever. There were 5 pills left - it looked like she would soon be using her hidden stash.
##
![[+]](https://xossipy.com/themes/sharepoint/collapse_collapsed.png)